Seeing Through These Blood Stained Tears
by chidori-to-the-face
Summary: Throughout his life, Naruto has tried to live by his principles. However, life isn't always what you expect. Watch as Naruto struggles with his hatred of killing and what it means to be a shinobi- an assassin. Mature content warning. Slight AU.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. This story is a tweak on the Naruto universe. First of all, i shifted the age by 3 years. Naruto and his fellow genin end their stay at the academy at 15 instead of 12. Second of all, the story is modified to make the shinobi more as assassins instead of a tactical strike , there are other changes which will be revealed as the story goes on. Thanks for reading.

Seeing Through These Blood-Stained Tears

Chapter 1

It was a cool August day. The sun was shining on the Konoha ninja academy, bathing the school in a warm ray of ephemeral light, randomly darkened by a passing cloud. Inside the school, the teachers ;lectured to their students the fine points of stealth, reciting from memory the meticulous process of stealth assassination. All except one teacher.

"NARUTOOOO!", yelled a voice from classroom 208.

"Sorry Iruka Sensei, but your lectures are sooo boring" replied the Uzumaki Naruto, class clown and local troublemaker. The other students in the class chuckled amongst themselves,  
amused by Naruto's antics. Iruka shrugged off his anger and continued on with his speech.

"Before you all go, i want to remind you to study for the Genin exam. Remember, you are going to get a random assignment and you must complete other teachers and I will determine whether or not you pass".

"What are the types of assignments we have to do, Iruka-sensei?", said Inuzuka Kiba.

"Well, this time we have a handful of assignments. You might receive an order ranging from stealth reconnaissance, to sabotage, to...other tasks". Upon uttering the last part, Iruka sent a concerned looked at Naruto, who quickly averted his eyes as his face slightly paled.

"Well, class dismissed. Come tomorrow and receive your assignments". The students started leaving, when Iruka called "And Naruto, wait here for a second". Naruto, a blond boy of 15 years with cerulean eyes and three whisker mark scars on each of his cheeks. His black and orange jumpsuit covered in wrinkles.

"What is it, Iruka sensei?"

"Naruto, let's go get some ramen. I need to talk to you" he said concerned. Naruto smirked

sheepishly,"Anything for ramen".

1 Hour Later:

Naruto and Iruka sat at Ichiraku's Ramen Bar, Naruto's favorite ramen shop. They waited in a thick, awkward silence that seemed to consume the whole atmosphere of the shop. They waited together in that silence until their ramen was ready. Just as Naruto was about to dig in, Iruka broke the mutual silence.

"Naruto, are you sure your ready for tomorrow?" Naruto stared straight ahead as if looking past the shop, into an endless abyss. Slowly, he turned his head and stared straight into Iruka's eyes, his bright blue eyes darkened. Suddenly, he smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

"What do you mean, Iruka-sensei? Of course I'm ready! And I'm going to pass too!" he yelled, as if trying to convince himself of the fact. Iruka smiled slightly, hiding his worry.

"Good. But Naruto, I'm sure you know,but you might get...THAT assignment again". Naruto froze for a split second, then went back to his meal and began eating.

"Naruto, i know you failed last year" said Iruka "But that was because you weren't prepared. I bet this year you can easily pass". There was a moment of silence. Naruto turned and looked directly into Iruka's eyes.

"Iruka-sensei, can i ask you a question?" Naruto said, his voice wavering slightly. "Anything. Naruto" Iruka replied. Naruto tapped his foot slightly.

"Why didn't you stay in the field? Why did you become a teacher?". Iruka was surprised, and didn't make an attempt to hide it.

"well" said Iruka,"The field is...something different. It's..hard to explain". Iruka turned to his bowl of ramen and stared at it for a few seconds.

"...When your in the field, life gets messed up. Life and death become the same side of a coin, the difference becomes small and impossible to see. The mission is all that matters. Whether you make it back to your loved ones, or you fade into history doesn't matter, only whether you succeed or fail. It's maddening. Some people...just can't deal with it. They lose their edge, and when you lose your edge in the jungle...you don't come back...I... couldn't deal with it. Some call me weak-willed, but i just couldn't cope." Iruka turned towards Naruto, his stare seeming to size up Naruto's whole being.

"You understand, don't you, Naruto?" The silence seemed to grow, its voracity ever expanding, as if it was trying to swallow up all the sounds of the earth.

The Next Day:

All of the class was assembled early in the morning. The sun once again shining, the sky deep blue. Naruto sat uncomfortably in class, as did all of the students. Their anticipation almost palpable. They chattered to each other, trying to take the edge off. At precisely 8:00, Iruka walked in with a box. A wave of anxiety rippled through the class.

"Okay class, come up and draw your assignments. Do not open them until you get home". Each student came us one by one, taking turns drawing a folded piece of paper, sealed with wax. The paper seemed to weigh heavy in the students' hands, as if the sheet weighed as much s a thousand suns. Finally it was Naruto's turn, and he went and looked into the was only one slip left, just like last time. He tenderly picked it up, and walked back to his seat. Once he sat down Iruka put the box down.

"Okay ladies and gentleman. You have your orders. Remember, DO NOT OPEN THEM UNTIL YOU GET HOME. These missions are each have 3 days to complete your mission. Good luck, and God's speed".

Naruto walked out of the class and then ran straight home. Once he got inside his apartment, he locked his door and closed the blinds, He checked to see if anyone was there, then went over to his coach. He sat there, holding his orders, his hand trembling. Slowly, with wavering anticipation. He broke the seal and opened the orders, He stared at it, looking it up and down, every second shaking more and more. Finally, he let the slip drop out of his hands, his body wracked with spasms.

"No...no...nonono...not again...please...not again..." he muttered, tears welling up in his eyes.

The top line of the orders read:

Assignment: Assassination of a low priority target...

...TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The night air was cool and crisp as it blew in through the apartment window. Naruto was laying on his bed, his arm covering his face. In his other

hand he held the paper which he had received earlier that day, clenched tight in his hand. He listened quietly to the sound of the wind as it rustled

through the curtains. A lone dog barked at some mysterious phantasm in the distance. He laid there for a few minutes before extending the arm

draped across his face toward the cieling fan, which he had forgotten to turn off. The whir of the spinning blades pierced the silence in a rhythm.

He stared at the fan for a while, then brought the orders to his face. He opened the crushed paper up and began reading it.

Orders: Assassination of a low priority target...

Target Identity: Nakamura Isamu

Age: 41

Reason for Termination: Theft of Classified documents from the village

Resistance: Minimal

The rest he skimmed over quickly. It seems the man had been stealing classified information from the Hokage's Tower. If he had been seen as a

bigger threat, perhaps he would have been the assassination target of an Anbu.

'But instead I have to do it' Naruto thought. He stared at the picture intently. The man in the picture looked jovial. There wasn't a sinister trace in

him at all.

'Why did i get an assassination order again?' He turned on his side and stared out the window. The moon shone faintly behind the clouds, it's

bright light muddled by the shadowy apparitions.

'Maybe I could just repeat another year. Maybe I'll get another assignment next year' Naruto immediately got up and walked over to his dresser.

He reached inside the top drawer and felt around the top. After a few seconds, he came across a folded paper taped to the top. He grabbed it,

pulling the tape off, and walked back and sat on his bed. He opened it up. it was a newspaper clipping. He read the headline:

Two girls killed In the escape of Mizuki, A criminal wanted for stealing from the village.

Naruto looked below and saw a picture of two smiling 8 year old girls. Next to it was scribbled : Don't forget them. Naruto stared at the scrawled

note.

'No, I can't run away again. I can't let that happen again'. Naruto stood up and put the paper away. He pulled out a set of black clothes and a

black ski mask, and proceeded to put them all on. He looked at himself in his bathroom mirror, and satisfied, jumped out his bedroom window into

the inky blackness of the night.

Two Days Later:

Naruto sat on his balcony dressed in black. He had spent the last two nights stalking his target, following him and finding the best possible route

to ambush him. He now knew that the target had a wife and a 6 year old son. He hadn't expected that. The family certainly wasn't his target, so he

would have to alter his plans. He shook his head. He knew what it was like to grow up without a father, and he could only imagine what it would

be like for the boy.

'Oh well, there's nothing I could do about it now. If I don't do it, someone else will'. He jumped out the window and ran to his targets house.

According to his information, his wife and child should be staying at his sister's house until the next day.

He arrived at the target's house and checked around for anyone in the vicinity. Not a sound all around him. He jumped onto the roof and waited.

1 Hour Later:

Naruto had lain prone for almost an hour, waiting for his mark. The moon glowed brightly, as if trying to obstruct his mission. He waited patiently,

and soon saw his mark walking down the street. He waited for him to enter into his house, and then silently climbed down to the back door which

he had picked a while earlier. He opened the door and crept in, slowly heading for the front door. He passed through the dark house like a

phantom, gliding along the floor. He heard the sound of feet shuffling and headed for it. He reached into his leg pouch and pulled out a kunai. He

could see a figure now, his back turned hanging up his coat. Naruto stopped and held his breath. He waited a moment, to see if he would turn. It

seemed like an eternity to him. Finally, Naruto pounced. He grabbed the mans head and slashed his neck from behind, feeling his warm blood spray

onto his hands from the mans torn jugular. The man went ragdoll in Naruto's hands, as he slowly let him fall to the ground. Isamu clasped his

slashed neck with one hand, as he grabbed Naruto's leg tightly. In his final moments, he stared straight into Naruto's eyes in disbelief, before

dropping his hand. He was dead.

Naruto stared in shock at what he had done. He had actually taken another man's life. He put his kunai away, trembling slightly. He stared at the

body intently, too intently. He completely missed the sounds of footsteps outside the front door. In an instant, the door opened revealing the

man's daughter and wife.

"Daddy, we're home! We came back early and brought some din..." her voice trailed off as she saw Naruto standing over her father's dead body.

She looked at her dad, then looked directly into Naruto's eyes. They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity. He felt her gaze

pierce him. He felt that if she didn't stop, he would go mad. but he couldn't run or look away. All he could do was stare, as the pale moon light

shown brightly in defiance behind the two silhouette. Finally, the silence was broken when the mother dropped her bag. The second it hit the floor,

Naruto snapped back into reality. He turned and ran for the window next to the back door, and jumped through it, running off into the distance. As

he was fleeing, he heard a blood chilling wail, that seemed to pierce the darkness of the night.

A few minutes later:

Naruto had been running for what seemed like an eternity. He kept running until he reached the forest, then ram in until he saw a clearing. It was

training ground 2. He slowed down and walked over to a big oak tree, it's leaves glittering faintly in the moonlight. He laid his back against the

tree, and slumped down, curling into a ball. He saw the girls eyes freshly in his mind, staring back at him through the shadows of the night.

"Go away!" he cried out, trying to wave her eyes out of his mind. It was no use. The eyes kept staring at him, and he screamed once more, before

falling into a black sleep.

The Next Day:

It was a bright and warm morning, unusual for so late in autumn. Indeed it seemed to be another peaceful day in the village of Konoha. Hyüga

Hinata, a pale skinned girl with dark blue hair and lavender gray eyes, was walking through the forest path she took whenever she could. She

finished her mission yesterday, and was allowed to go out for a morning stroll. It was always great to get away from the Hyüga Compound. She

walked down the path between the trees, enjoying the scenery. Luckily for her, the mission she drew was reconnaissance she mused. All she had

to do was find a child that had been missing for two days. With the Byakugan, the task had been a cinch. She merely ran through the forest until

she found the kid, and brought him back to the Hokage Tower.

Hinata entered came upon the end of the trail, as it opened into a clearing. The clearing was filled with lush green grass and the occasional flower.

'Training ground 2, the unused training ground' she thought to herself. She stopped and was about to turn back when she noticed a a lump of

black laying against the trunk of a great oak tree. The black figure was covered in red oak leaves. Her curiosity peeked, she strolled over to the

tree and recognized the black figure as a human. She walked over carefully and silently, until she saw the figures arms. The arms of the black-clad

person were covered in dry blood. She ran over to the person and kneeled down to examine if he or she was alright. She felt for a pulse, and was

relieved when she felt one. She looked at the ski mask the person was wearing and ran her hand across it.

'I wonder who this is. I have to check. He or she might need medical attention'. She carefully pulled off the mask, and was surprised by what she

saw.

'Naruto!' She stumbled back a little, not expecting to see her crush here of all places. Ever since he was allowed to take the genin exam a year

early last year and failed, he hadn't been the same. She or nobody else in the class could find him after class. It seemed he always disappeared.

She held her breath for a while, then slowly crawled back over and sat next to him, staring at him. She had seen the blood on his arms and now

knew it wasn't his.

'But who's blood is it' she thought. She looked at his closed eyes for a few minutes, and reached out to touch the blood stains on his arm, when his

eyes fluttered open. They locked eyes for a second, and then she fell back in surprise. A blush crept across her face.

"A-are you alright, Naruto-kun?" she asked in a low voice. Naruto immediately reached for a kunai before he recognized her face.

'Oh, she's Hinata from class'. He relaxed his hand and sat up, stretching his neck.

"Ya, I think so. Where am I?" he asked.

"W-what do you mean Naruto-kun? Your in training ground 2. Don't you remember coming here?" she replied.

"He thought to himself for a moment, then the eyes flashed in front of his face. He lurched forward, grabbing his face, trying to block out the

memory flooding in from last night. He screamed in terror, then started shivering. Hinata, was taken aback by his sudden action, and fell on her

butt when she heard him scream. There was something in that yell that sounded of disgust and dried blood she noticed before sudenly appeared

to her more fresh than previously thought.

'It could only be a few hours old' she thought. She worked up her courage and scooted closer to him.

"N-naruto-kun...who's... blood is that?" he immediately stopped holding his face and put his hand further from his face, seeing the blood on them.

Tears began streaming down his face as he turned to look at her.

"They made me do it...how could they... why did I have to get the mission..why..." he trailed off. He was once again wracked in trembles, and she

could see the desolation in his eyes. Without thinking she grabbed him and held him close to her, his head pressed into her jacket. Surprised, he

he went limp for a few seconds, before grabbing her back and resuming his sobbing. Her jacket began to get soaked as it filled with the tears of

his sorrow.

They sat there for a while, Naruto sobbing quietly into her jacket. Eventually, he stopped crying, and simply laid there with his head resting in the

warmth of her jacket.

"Thank you" Naruto said weakly. He lifted his head up and stared into her eyes, his blue eyes stained red from tears. If he hadn't looked so

wretched, she probably would have been incredibly embarassed.

"It's was my mission..." Naruto began. Hinata immediately focused attentively. "...you see, normally every mission you get for the genin exam is

something simple. But every now and then... there is the... dirty job..." Hinata began to pick up on his hesitation.

"What do you mean 'dirty', Naruto-kun? You can tell me, I promise I won't tell anyone else"

"Well...this year, my mission was...assassination..." Hinata gasped.

"But i thought that only Chunins and higher went on assassination missions"

"That's not the case. Every now and then, there's a target too low of priority to waste resources on..." he trailed off.

"So, what happened?" she asked, almost whispering. Naruto looked at his hands, then clenched them.

"What happened was that I... succeeded" There was an uncomfortable silence. "We should get back to the academy. The end of the third day is

three days after he dismissed us" Hinata nodded. Naruto stood up. "I'll go on ahead. I have to...clean up" He walked out of the clearing, leaving

Hinata still sitting by the oak tree.

1 Hour Later:

Naruto found his way into the classroom and sat down in his seat. He was the last to arrive. He had changed into his orange and black jumpsuit

and washed off the blood. Everyone was waiting for Iruka, chatting to pass the time. Eventually, the door slammed open, and in walked Iruka.

"Okay everyone" he started "We have the results from the exams. But first I want to say that all the instructors and I were all very proud of the

effort you all put in. However, only the top 9 scorers on the exam can become genin. Now I'll read the teams...Team 10: Nara Shikamaru,

Yamanaka Ino, and Akimichi Choji, your intructor is Sarutobi Asuma. Team 8: Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, and... Haruno Sakura, your instructor is

Yuhi Kurenai. And finally, Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and...Hyuga Hinata, your instructor is Hatake Kakashi. Everyone who passed,

wait here for your instructors. And everyone who didn't, I'll be seeing you again next year. That's all" Iruka turned to walk outof the room, then

stopped mid-stride. He turned back to face the class.

"Oh, and I almost forgot, the Hokage wanted me to congratulate Naruto on his outstanding performance on his exam. He scored the highest out of

all of you. Good job, Naruto." Everyone in the class turned to look at Naruto.

"How the hell did he do that" Shouted Kiba.

'He must have gotten an easy assignment" said Ino.

"Hmm...either way, impressive" Remarked Shino.

The class started chatting about how the class clown could possibly have scored the highest, ignoring the fact that Naruto had begun to

Naruto could see were the little girl's eyes staring straight at him, no matter where he looked.

Hinata shot a worried glance at Naruto. Meanwhile his shaking had noticeably increased. Everyone started quiteing down, staring at him. Finally,

Kiba walked over to him, and tried to pat him on the back.

"You oka..." he coudn't finish his sentence because he and everyone close to Naruto was forcefully sent flying backwards like they hit a wall.

Naruto stood up and bolted out of the classroom.

"Oye, Naruto! NARUTO!" Iruka called out, as Naruto dashed out of the school.

...TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I've decided to change one of the main genres for a very important reason. First of all, the main character does not have the tragic flaw that leads to his downfall. Second of all, Naruto is not royalty or an elite at this point. Of course, these points are only substantiated if you follow the historical aspect of tragedy, dating back to the ancient Greeks. If you use the current connotation of the word, then it still might be acceptable. The problem that afflicts me, even with tragedy, is the fact that it assumes either all of it or at least the ending is painful and/or sad. This reading of the future does not sit well with me. I like to write ambiguously, so you only know whether something bad is going to happen or not. The way it is now (after the change) allows me to state that there will be pain in the story, but the amount and degree of which is unknown. I apologize if this turns any of you away from this story. I am honest when I say that it is not the story that changed to fit the genre but the genre changing to fit the story. Once again, i sincerely apologize to fans of tragedy..

Also, this story contains elements of action and adventure, with some angst. Also I would like to apologize for the lengthy intervals between my writing. For some reason(a reason which I will now explain), i can only write between 12:00 am and 4 am. I write better when I'm extremely tired. Because of this, it's very rare to sit down and actually write.

Finally, I would like to apologize for not shutting the hell up until now.

Chapter 3

Naruto ran until he was out of breath, his sprint slowing to a walk. He bent over, trying to catch his breath. After a few moments, he looked up and saw he was near the Hokage's Tower( the office of the village's most powerful ninja, security center, and information storage facility). He looked around briefly.

'_There must be a park around here somewhere_' he thought to himself. He began to walk and came upon a crowded street. A little ways down, he saw a park sign. He sighed. God how he hated crowds. He began to make his way up the street, earning the occasional glare from a always got glared at by people who didn't know him (and occasionally by people who did). Up until last year, he never knew why. Now, after the 'event' that happened last year, he knew it was because the Kyuubi no Kitsune, the legendary nine-tailed demon fox that attacked the village 15 years ago, was sealed inside him.

At first it was quite a shock to him, and he was furious that he was feared like the avatar of destruction. However, as time passed, he began to understand how the villagers felt. After all, he thought he would be pretty upset too to see a living reminder of the carnage and death of a night when many people lost their loved ones. Now, the idea that his very presence could make people upset just depressed him, so he tended to avoid large groups of people. Luckily, some of the crowd had dispersed.

Naruto hurried his pace and soon found himself at the edge of one of Konoha's many parks. He walked in and found the closest bench. He walked over and sat down, placing his head in his hands. He sat there for a minute, trying to forget about the eyes that would stare at him from his memory. Every now and then he would shake his head to clear it. After a few minutes, he felt an odd feeling. He looked up and saw nobody. Granted it was the middle of the day, but there were always people walking around or through one of Konoha's many parks.

'_Odd_' he thought. He decided it wasn't anything to be concerned with and was about to resume his musings when he felt another sensation. He looked up towards the trees and noticed a quick movement out of the corner of his eye. Naruto immediately caught the source of the movement. It was an ANBU.

'_If the ANBU are here hiding, that means..._' Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Naruto spun around to stare straight into the face of an elderly man wearing robes and a large hat. Sarutobi, the third Hokage. The old man's mouth was turned up into a smile.

"Hello Naruto, mind if I sit down?"

"Of course, ji-chan" Naruto slid down the bench, offering the seat to the elder man. Smiling, the elderly man sat down, setting his robes right.

"You have good senses Naruto. You noticed that ANBU in the tree. Not many genin are capable of a feat like that" he looked at the ANBU in the tree, and waved his hand. The exposed guard immediately vanished, much to Naruto's surprise. The old man turned to look at Naruto, his face betraying a slight hint of concern.

"You did your job well, Naruto. Nobody is going to say otherwise. You did what you had to do". Naruto shivered a little.

"Ji-chan, why did I have to murder that man?" Naruto said, his voice slightly trembling.

"Execute, Naruto. You did not murder that man. The village deemed him worthy of death for treason. We can't afford people who jeopardize the village's safety to escape in court. This is a military state. What you did was not murder, but doing your share to help prortect the village". Naruto turned to look at Sarutobi.

"But I can't stand it oji-chan. Isn't there anything we can do to change?"

"Naruto, you sound like one of my apprentices". Sarutobi smiled for a brief moment, then sighed, "But the only way to change the way the country runs is to change the world. As long as there is hate, there is war. And as long as there is war, there is a need for us shinobi. I don't think my generation has the ability to change anything as it stands...". Sarutobi stared into the deep blue sky, then shifted his gaze at Naruto. "But maybe, just maybe, your generation can change the way the world runs. It may be impossible, but the only way for anything to change is for someone to try..." Sarutobi trailed off, looking back to the sky. Naruto remained quite for a few moments,then a smile crept onto his face.

"Ji-chan, I understand what I have to do". Sarutobi smiled, then stood up.

"I knew you'd figure something out". Sarutobi walked behind the bench. Naruto turned around to look at him, but he was gone. Naruto sat for a moment in contemplation, then slowly stood, and in a burst of speed, ran as fast as he could back towards the academy.

* * *

Later:

The sun had shifted considerably while Naruto was away. The light before Naruto left the academy was slanted, and cast uneven shadows across the landscape, beckoning him to come. Now the light came from directly overhead, banishing the illusory apparitions. The day grew hotter and the humidity increased slightly, drawing a bead of sweat from Naruto's forehead. Naruto noticed the position of the shadows and was momentarily awed at his failed perception of time. He hastily made his way towards the academy, no longer in a sprint but in a brisk jog. More people were out for their lunch breaks and he deemed it unwise to rush head-on into someone.

'_I hope our sensei isn't angry that I'm late'_ Naruto mused.

Even Later:

Naruto arrived at the academy with a light layer of sweat across face. The gentle breeze that was blowing only a little while ago stopped, leaving Naruto to suffer in the oppressive heat. He had forgotten how much more annoying it was to be active during the day instead of at night. He slowly went in through the main entrance and made his way to the class where he had departed with haste hours before. It was unusually silent for this time of day. The silence made the long winding corridors seem like a maze , luring him deeper to trap him forever.

As Naruto came to the door, he felt a prickle against his skin, a feeling he only has when he was near the Hokage, or one of his many ANBU. Naruto assumed that it either meant someone was hidden close by, or someone really strong was near. Naruto spun around, looking for the source of threat. Seeing nothing but a winding corridor, he focused on the door in front of him. Naruto pulled out a kunai from his leg pouch and slid it up his sleeve, positioning it so that when he angled his arm in a certain position, the kunai would slide directly into his hand. Using his other hand, he slowly slid the door open.

"Your late" a monotone voice stated. Naruto quickly searched for the voice , spotting a a 30ish looking man with silver hair sitting in Iruka's chair and his feet on the table The man immediately disappeared. Naruto swung his arm and body around, allowing the kunai to slide into his hand. Right as the kunai was in his hand, he made a slashing attempt at the man who was now standing behind him. The man, who Naruto now noticed was reading one of those books that all the guys were into, grabbed his wrist without looking up and squeezed hard enough to make him drop the kunai. The man then proceeded to swing and twist Naruto over his shoulder and slam him into the hard wooden floor. An audible gasp was emitted from one of the other two people sitting in the room.

"There were two things wrong with what you just did", the man with silver hair said. He was standing over Naruto's head as Naruto stared straight up at him. The man wore a chunin's vest with fingerless gloves, and had a mask on that covered the lower part of his face. His hitai-ate(forehead protector) was positioned so that it covered his left eye.

"And what are those?" Naruto said through his teeth, still reeling from the impact.

"First of all, you attacked your sensei. Second of all, you tried to strike a non-lethal area. Even if I was hit there, I would just knock you out. And Lastly," the man smiled, or appeared to, by subtly moving his face under the mask and curling his exposed eye up," You came later than me, who came three hours late". The silver-haired man let go of Naruto's wrist and offered him a hand up, which Naruto accepted. As soon as he got up he noticed Sasuke and Hinata were staring at him. Sasuke eyes were wide and Hinata's mouth was opened, covered by her hand. Naruto brushed himself off, then turned to look at the silver-haired man.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi", said the silver-haired man ," and I'm your new sensei". Naruto nodded and sat down in a nearby chair. The shocked Sasuke and Hinata quicly regained their composure, and looked at their new sensei.

"My first impression of you two", kakashi nodded his head towards Sasuke and Hinata," is that your are extremely boring". Sasuke turned his head away unfazed and Hinata lowered her head a little, not completely understanding what he meant.

"And my first impression of you", he said nodding towards Naruto," is that your either your a suicidal maniac, or a 15 year old kid with the worst rebellious phase I have ever seen. Either way...your dangerous." Naruto was also unsure of how to react to his statement, so he resigned to a simple shrug. Kakashi looked at all of them.

"Meet me on the roof in 5 minutes". He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, and was gone. The three pupils got up, and slowly exited the room, shadows lengthening as they closed the door

There was silence as the three teenagers walked towards the stairs. Surprisingly, it was Sasuke who broke the silence. " Hey dobe( naruto was dead last during the school year, but he Aced the exam. The final is what really determines your standing. The regular school grade was just something you could brag about), what the hell happened in the morning, and where did you run to?" Sasuke asked without changing his expression.

"I don't really remembered what happened when I left, but I went to find an anwser". Sasuke, not in the mood for psuedo-philosophical bullshit, walked on ahead, leaving Naruto alone with Hinata. Hinata blushed a little, then asked:

"Why did you try to attack sensei?" Naruto contemplated for a second, then replied:

"I'm not sure. All I know was there was this guy in front of me who could easily kill me. I guess it was fight or flight, and I won't run away from conflict again..." Naruto stared straight ahead, his face tightening,"...yes, never again" Hinata, figuring she must have stumbled upon a soar spot, didn't ask anything else. They quickly made it to the stairs, reached the roof, and opened the roof access door, bathing the narrow stairway in a pool of afternoon light.

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

The roof of the academy was covered in aging trees. The pale gray cement roof was covered in a thick mosaic of orange and deep red as the leaves piled up. Naruto enjoyed sitting on the roof, watching the the autumnal zephyrs tug at the leaves, gradually lifting and coercing them until they came free and drifted slowly towards the enjoyed how they would twist and bend, gliding every which way. Occasionally they would even blow upwards. But no matter what their movements were, no matter how erratic, they would always begin their inevitable decent back towards the earth. Their ending was always the same, but how they arrived was always different. They were unpredictable. No two leaves ever moved the exact same way. He liked that.

At the far end if the roof was a railing that overlooked most of the village. It was against this railing that their sensei was leaning, eyeing his team over. As Naruto, Sauske and Hinata entered the roof, their sensei beckoned them over to him with a wave of the hand.

"Come over here and sit" the man with face mask said. As Naruto strolled across the rooftop he felt a cool breeze settle upon him. He looked over the ledge at his home village. The afternoon light was soft, and bathed the village orange. As the sun moved ever slowly down, the shadows cast by the mountains grew, slowly lengthening over the village. The image it created was serene. Naruto couldn't help but feel calmed by the sight. When they all arrived in front of him, they sat in a semicircle. Naruto sat on the right, Hinata in the middle and Sauske on the left.

"Well" said the silver-haired ninja," I think we should introduce ourselves. Tell me your name, dreams, dislikes, likes and what you specialize in".

"Why don't you start first sensei" Naruto mumbled, looking past the man at the village below.

"well, my name is Hatake Kakashi, I have no desire to tell you my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future...hm. And I have a lot of hobbies. I specialize in...everything" said Kakashi with a smile. When nobody reacted to his attempt at humor, he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Geese, you guys are no fun. All right... start with the guy on the left". He pointed towards Sauske. Sauske looked Kakashi in the eye.

"My name is Uchiha Sauske. There are tons of things I dislike but I don't really like anything...and I don't want to use the word "dream" but...I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan... and to kill a certain man". When Sauske finished the last part Naruto began to shake. When Sauske stopped and turned to look, Naruto waved his hand to continue.

"My specialty is with my clans ninjustsus" Sauske finished, eyeing Naruto apprehensively. ' I knew it' Kakashi mused to himself. He eyed Naruto and when it became clear his trembling had stopped, continued on.

"The girl next" Kakashi said while pointing towards Hinata.

"M-my name is Hyuga Hinata" she began. "My l-likes are when I make my clan proud...and..." she stole a quick look to her left at Naruto, then quickly met Kakashi's gaze again. 'This could be interesting' Kakashi mused to himself. Hinata continued:

"My d-islikes are when i let p-people down. My dream is... to be accepted as leader of my c-clan and to make everyone proud. M-my specialty is the b-byakugan." she finished. 'Great, not a very individualistic person, is she' Kakashi sighed to himself. This was gonna be a tough habit to break. Kakashi turned his head to look at Naruto. As if sensing the stare, Naruto raised his head to stare into Kakashi's eye, his cerulean eyes piercing him.

"My name is Uzuamki Naruto. My likes are my last two sensei's and peace. I dislike being alone and I... hate killing..." Naruto paused, clenching his fist. Hinata looked at him with concern. Sasuke mumbled a slight "hm". Kakashi merely nodded.

"My specialty is...killing" Naruto spoke slowly, forcing the last word through his clenched teeth. How he disliked that word. He locked eyes with Kakashi again. This time, his face was stern and his eyes hard.

"My dream...no, I WILL become the Hokage and reshape this world that relies on ninja. I will do WHATEVER it takes to bring peace to the world". If it were not for his tone and serious face, Kakashi would have thought him joking. Kakashi eyed Naruto critically, his gaze hard and indomitable.

"You know, only the most powerful person in the world could do such a thing" Kakashi spoke seriously. Naruto's gaze did not falter.

"Then I will become the most powerful person in the world" Kakashi locked eyes with Naruto. The stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Kakashi broke into a smile. 'He sure has grown' Kakashi thought proudly.

Hinata was in awe. She had rarely heard from Naruto this last year, and for the once solemn boy to speak with such nobility and determination brought her much surprise. She realized she had her mouth ajar and quickly closed it. She smiled softly. This was the boy who she admired.

Sauske eyed Naruto critically. Was he crazy? What was with that childish dream. Besides, why should he care for others? Sauske saw how most of the villagers treated him, and if anyone had an excuse to hate humanity, it would be Naruto.'Whatever' Sasuke thought. As long as Naruto didn't hold him back, he could have whatever foolish dream he wanted..

The silence was broken by Kakashi.

"Okay, that's enough of that. We'll stop here for today. Tomorrow we'll have survival training".

"S-survival training?" Hinata questioned.

"Yes. But this isn't ordinary training, this is a test to determine who gets to stay a ninja". Kakashi paused to let it sink in.

"Wait a minute" Naruto interjected angrily. "Wasn't the exam what determined whether or not we graduated?"

"That only was to see who was most likely to become a genin. Only 9 of the rookies will become genin. The rest will go back to academy and have to take the exam again next year". Naruto's face was a painting of unbridled rage.

"Take these pamphlets and meet me where the handout specifies. Don't be late" and with that he was gone.  
_

Later that night:  
_

A fist crashed though the wall of Naruto's apartment.

"DAMN IT!" he screamed. He kicked his table against the wall. It crashed into the wall and broke apart. Naruto's breath was ragged. He fell backwards onto his bed, once more staring up at his ceiling fan, slowly spinning. Survival training? What did Kakashi mean that he could be sent back to the academy? He did the his share of the dirty work. Was it all for nothing? Was the murder in vain? Was that fatherless girl just unlucky?

"WHAT WAS IT FOR?" Naruto screamed. He grabbed a potted plant next to his window and hurled it, breaking the pot and his window. He sat up and covered his face with his hands. 'No...no I can't let this be a waste'. He looked up and recoiled in horror. He say the eyes watching him from the darkness of his room. He tried to look away but saw two little bodies laying on the floor, both bleeding with looks of terror on their face. Slowly they turned their heads. Then he saw their eyes. Their pleading eyes staring into his. Begging him to help them. Naruto fell over and threw up on the carpet. He quickly reached for a kunai. When he had one firmly in his hand, he raked it hard across the top of his arm, all the down to his fingers. The explosion of pain awakened him and wracked his body as he toppled onto the floor. His breathing was erratic and he eyed the room around him. It was full of blood as far as the eye could see. He slowly got up without the use of his mangled arm. When he was standing firmly, he limped over to his dresser. He leaned down and opened the bottom drawer and extracted one of many little glass boxes containing a syringe. With his free arm, he bashed open the glass case and grabbed the syringe. After testing to see if it was working, he jammed it into his neck and released the contents into his body. After a few moments of pain, he pulled the syringe out and fell back onto the ground...

later:

Naruto opened his eyes slowly, darting around his room. The apparitions and fake blood was gone. He looked at his arm, torn and mangled by his own hand. It was worth it, he thought. He slowly stood up and grabbed some gauze from the bathroom. He wrapped it tight around his arm. The wound would heal quick enough; in fact the blood flow was but a trickle. . The blood on the floor and the vomit... well, there were more important things to worry about. He limped into his bed and tumbled onto it. He laid there for a while, listening to the whirring of the fan blade above him. His eyes fell upon his now broken window and the moon just above the horizon. Its red hue and crescent shape made him freeze solid. The way the crescent was displayed with the stars around it struck him in a fashion he couldn't recognize, but sent shivers up his spine. Suddenly the image clicked in his mind. It was a grin.

_  
Elsewhere  
_

Kakashi leaned back into his chair and stretched. It had been several hours since he left his team and went to the Hokage's tower to review his teams files. He looked at the dossiers in his hand. Boy had that been an interesting read. He tapped his fingers repeatedly over the stack of files, trying to make sense of them.

"Finally finished?" an elderly voice called from behind. Kakashi turned to see The Third standing in the archive doorway.

"Yes sir" said Kakashi, unable to hold back a long, drawn out yawn. What time was it? 1, 2?Either way, it was late. Sarutobi walked over to the other side of the table Kakashi was seated at and pulled out a chair. He sat himself down with a slight "oomf" and leaned back into it.

"So...what do you think about them?" said Sarutobi. He gestured towards the dossiers. "Anything you wish to discuss?" Kakashi set his elbows on the table and rested his head in between his interlocked fingers.

"I had... a few questions, if I may be so bold Hokage-sama". Sarutobi chuckled.

"It's too late for this Kakashi, just ask".

"Well... it's about the three genin I've been assigned".

"Well, what about them?".

"I've been trying to piece together why you assigned the three of them to me".

"And what did you come up with?"

"Well... I understand about Sasuke. He's a lot like me when I was young, plus he needs someone to help him activate his sharingan and use it to its full potential". Sarutobi nodded.

"Then I read over the Hyuga girls files". Kakashi plopped one of the two dossiers he held into his hand on the table. "They were unusual for a Hyuga. Lack of self confidence, shyness you name it. She's like a permanent transfer student. The only thing I could come up with was maybe you planned for her to be paired with self team mates who could help improve her personality" Sarutobi smiled.

"You know you've always been a very insightful one, Kakashi".

"Well, Hokage-sama, that was where the my insight stopped". Kakashi set the final file on the desk and opened it up. Inside was a picture of Naruto.

"Here is where it got interesting".

"Oh?" Sarutobi responded knowingly.

"His internal guest aside, I've read some really disturbing things. It seems in the last year he has...changed. The night terrors, the visits with Ibiki, the anti psychotics and his extreme training. Quite frankly, I don't understand what I'm supposed to do with him." Kakashi paused. "I mean...I want to help him but... I'm not sure I'm the right person for the job". Kakashi sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Kakashi, you are the only person who can do it. Right now, his greatest enemy is-"

"-himself" Kakashi interrupted. Sarutobi closed his eyes and nodded.

"The only one who can save him from the hell he's created is himself. And your job is to help him realize that" Kakashi nodded and slowly stood up.

"I understand Hokage-sama" Kakashi turned and slowly began to make his way towards the door when Sarutobi called out to him.

"I trust that besides his mental condition, that you will also help with his physical one". Kakashi turned and saluted .

"Understood, Hokage-sama".

"Good, now get out of here and go to sleep. Maybe for once you'll be on time". Kakashi smiled sheepishly before disappearing in a whirl of leaves.

...TO BE CONTINUED


End file.
